In recent years, the use of computers in all aspects of business, education, entertainment, and the like, has increased dramatically. A high demand has followed for more advanced and efficient computer hardware and software. It is often the case that home or small business computer users must update their computer operating systems to handle new software, only to find that the computer lacks sufficient memory capacity for the new operating system and software. Equally problematic, the computer user often finds that their computer lacks sufficient memory to store the very data generated or manipulated by the desired operating system or software.
For example, say the user is an individual home computer user. The user has a variety of software applications loaded on her home computer. The user stores and retrieves data on her computer, and the user uses electronic mail and messaging services through software stored on her computer. If a new version of the user's software is developed, or if an upgrade is developed by the manufacturer of the software to enhance performance or functionality or to solve a problem with a previous version, the user must obtain the new version and load it on to her computer. If the user's computer lacks sufficient memory, or if the user's operating system is incompatible or insufficient, the user may have difficulty. The user may be required to upgrade the memory and the operating system on her computer. Even if the user's computer has sufficient memory capacity and hardware to enable the user to upgrade the user's computer operating system or software applications, often the user's computer lacks sufficient memory to store and retrieve the very data the user desires to enter, store and manipulate with the user's computer. For on-line services, computer users are required to select an on-line service provider and insure that their computer hardware and software will handle the demands of the on-line computing.
Organizations of varying size, such as companies and educational institutions have similar technical concerns, but on a broader scale. Some organizations operate hundreds or even thousands of individual computers networked to each other via an intranet operated and administered by the organization. Such organizations typically require the expenditure of significant resources for information technology personnel and for maintaining data storage, back-up of data storage, software installation and upgrade, and hardware upgrade to enable software upgrade and data storage. System failures often occur in numerous locations throughout the organization requiring the dispersal of limited resources and time.
A major problem for such organizations attempting to implement application services has been the tremendous cost of the learning curve for operations personnel. Computing operations personnel typically must become familiar with all the intricacies of software application products before the products may be deployed on the organization's computer system. Answers to technical problems often are spread among several sources with no central location or source to draw from. All users, including individuals and organizations and organizations must maintain security over data and valuable software.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.